1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of computers. More particularly, it relates to an interface between a connector and a communications card in a computer system, and specifically to a physical/electrical media connector interface for use with a Type I or a Type II PCMCIA-architecture communications card, such as used in laptop and notebook computers.
2. The Prior State of the Art
Computer cards come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Today, Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) is the standard which specifies both card hardware and system software requirements. PCMCIA cards can be used as memory devices, input/output devices such as modems and network cards, or as a large capacity drive. Each PCMCIA card is referred to as being Type I, Type II, or Type III. Type refers only to the physical thickness of the card. Type I cards have a physical thickness of 3.3 millimeters, Type II cards have a thickness of 5 millimeters, and Type III cards have a thickness of 10.5 millimeters. Some manufacturers have made even thicker Type IV cards, but Type IV has not been officially adopted by the PCMCIA standard.
Cards developed under the PCMCIA standard are thin for a reason. Devices using PCMCIA cards are getting smaller and space is an important consideration as devices such as laptops become more compact. The smaller or more efficient a product such as a communications card can be made, the more room there is for something else. One use of PCMCIA cards is as an ethernet card having(, an interface for a RJ-45 connection or as a modem having an interface for an RJ-11 connection. In other words, Type I and Type II PCMCIA cards are typically limited to one interface for physical/electrical connectors complying with FCC Rule 68.500, subpart F, such as an RJ type connector, due to printed circuit circuit board ("PCB"). area limitations. In fact, Type I PCMCIA cards typically do not have any media interfaces and are usually used as memory cards. Some Type III cards have more than one RJ type connector, which is possible because of the thickness of Type III PCMCIA cards. The thickness of Type III PCMCIA cards can lead to other problems or limitations.
For example, a notebook or laptop computer may have two PCMCIA slots, which means that the notebook or laptop can accommodate two Type I cards, or two Type II cards, or one Type III card. Current Type III cards may have more than one type of media interface, but the thickness of Type III cards eliminates the use of the additional PCMCIA slot. Type II cards usually have only one media interface, but permit both PCMCIA slots to be used. In other words, a Type III card having more media interfaces than a Type I or Type II card provides no real advantage to a user because the use of a PCMCIA slot is eliminated by the thickness of a Type III PCMCIA card.
PCMCIA cards are generally rectangular in shape, and part of the printed circuit board (PCB) inside the card must be cut away in order to accommodate the media interface, whether it be an RJ type connector, a 15 pin interface or some other physical/electrical media connector interface. The PCB that must be cut away represents a loss of PCB space that could otherwise be used for additional components.
The typical interface for an RJ type connector used in connection with communications cards and PCMCIA cards is illustrated in FIG. 1. Specifically, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an interface 26 for an RJ-11 type connector 28 that is part of a retractable access portion 30. In order for the retractable access portion 30 to be used in PCMCIA architecture and be retractable, the shape of the PCB must be altered in order to accommodate retractable access portion 30 when it is retracted into a storage position. Retractable access portion 30 has a side 32 and an arm 34. Retractable access portion 30 is used in type IIPCMCIA cards because the arm 34 has a thickness of approximately 4.3 millimeters. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the thickness of retractable access portion 30 is substantially uniform. The thickness of arm 34 is the same as the thickness of side 32. Arm 34 is typically configured to be mounted on or attached to the housing of a PCMCIA card. It is desirable to increase not only the amount of PCB available for components, but also increase the number of media interfaces that a PCMCIA card can accommodate.